Complaints

How to make a complaint

Before you contact us, please read our definition of a complaint and the procedure involved in making a complaint

What is a complaint?

The Home Office defines a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction with the services provided by the Home Office. This is not the same as general correspondence from members of Parliament, the public expressing disagreement with a policy, or requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

How to make a complaint

You can also telephone the government switchboard on 020 7035 4848. The switchboard handles calls for many departments and will try to put you through to the appropriate member of staff. Sometimes it takes a while and they may need to ask for more information. This is to help you.

When you contact us please give us full details and include information, if you have it, about the part of the department you felt did not give you an appropriate service. Please use the list below to ensure you have given us all relevant details:

the area of the Home Office to which your complaint refers and a contact name (if you have one)

information on whether it is an original complaint or a follow-up to a reply you were not satisfied with

a clear description of the complaint and what you would like us to do to sort things out

your full postal address, phone number and e-mail address (if you have one)

We aim to respond to you within 20 working days.

If you wish to complain about an agency of the Home Office, please visit the complaints page of each website:

What happens next

If you complain in writing, by letter, fax or email, we aim to respond within 20 working days. If it is not posssible to give you a full reply within this time (for example, if your complaint requires more detailed investigation), we will tell you what is being done and when you can expect a full response.

We will acknowledge where things could have been done better, and tell you what will be done to avoid the same thing happening again. Equally, if we do not uphold your complaint, we will let you know why.

Our response to you will include details of what to do if you believe your complaint has not been dealt with properly. You should start by contacting us again, asking for your complaint to be passed on to a more senior member of staff.